Overview
A teacher's weekend trip with her students reveals unexpected truths about adulthood and responsibility.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- warmhearted
- witty
- gentle
- lazy sunday
- quiet evening
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film warmhearted and modestly affecting, with Lily Rabe’s nuanced performance and the ensemble’s emotional chemistry as major strengths.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Rachel’s weekend with Billy, Margot, and Sam turns the expected teacher-guides-students dynamic into shared emotional discovery.
The drama competition and Billy’s engagement with Death of a Salesman make acting a vehicle for revealing feelings that ordinary conversation suppresses.
The weekend trip separates Rachel and her students from school and home, allowing their roles and relationships to shift.
The modest character-centered structure and emphasis on balanced performances create a restrained, observational viewing experience.
Films like Miss Stevens, and why
The Edge of Seventeen
shared coming-of-age drama, teacher-student dynamics, and warm road-trip atmosphere
The Spectacular Now
shared intimate character drama, youthful self-discovery, and bittersweet humor
Theater Camp
shared adolescent performance anxiety, theatricality, and witty ensemble storytelling
Lady Bird
shared low-key indie tone, emotionally complicated adults, and comedy-drama grounded in personal transition
Movie Details
- Director
- Julia Hart
- Release Date
- 2016-09-16
- Runtime
- 86 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (260)
Cast
- Lily Rabe
- Timothée Chalamet
- Lili Reinhart
- Anthony Quintal
- Oscar Nuñez
- Rob Huebel
- Jammie Patton
- Noah Gray-Cabey
- Tamir Yardenne
- Grant Jordan
Common questions
- What is Miss Stevens about?
- A high-school drama teacher’s weekend road trip with three students becomes an unexpectedly reciprocal lesson in growing up.
- What is Miss Stevens like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Miss Stevens as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Miss Stevens violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Miss Stevens.
- What did critics think of Miss Stevens?
- Critics broadly found the film warmhearted and modestly affecting, with Lily Rabe’s nuanced performance and the ensemble’s emotional chemistry as major strengths.
- Which films are like Miss Stevens?
- Films with a similar feel include The Edge of Seventeen, The Spectacular Now, Theater Camp, and Lady Bird.
- How long is Miss Stevens?
- Miss Stevens runs 86 minutes.
